No Spider Harmed in the Making of this Book

Stand up for the small and not especially cuddly!

Back in September 2019 we were inspired by Lady Hale and distracted by her spider brooch. Then we realised we were coming up to our 8th Anniversary in August 2020. What better way to celebrate than with a book of Spider related stories and poems?

Poets and authors from around the world responded in astonishing numbers to our call out for work that celebrates the spider, and in which the spider survives, triumphs, and provides a role model.



Our writers have given the nod to Anansi, Robert the Bruce, Miss Muffet, and of course, Arachne herself, as well as discovering whole new worlds of spider influence and metaphor, with many stories dipping into Fantasy and Science Fiction.



A joy for any arachnid fancier, and anyone who can't stand small lives being trampled, in prejudice or phobia.



David Mathews is one of the winners of the Solstice Shorts Festival Short Story Competition. His story in Solstice Shorts: Sixteen Stories about Time is Wednesday Afternoon.



For 35 years David was a work psychologist. That gave him a license to mind other people's business. He comes from Wales and lives in Bath and SW France. Recently his collection of short stories was shortlisted for the Impress Prize, Brittle Star magazine published his story 'Florence, who made mustard', and Audio Arcadia are currently recording 'Removed' about a man who looks for stones.

Sarah Lawson was born in Indiana and educated at Indiana University and Glasgow University, but has lived in London since before decimalisation. Her poems, translations, and book reviews have been published widely. Her translation of Christine de Pisan's Treasure of the City of Ladies (1406) was its first English translation (Penguin Classics). Her translation of Moratín's El sí de las niñas was performed at the Prince Theatre in Greenwich, and her own play, 'Gertrude, Queen of Denmark', a feminist take on Hamlet, was performed at the Lion and Unicorn in Kentish Town. Her poetry collections are Below the Surface (Loxwood Stoneleigh, 1996) and All the Tea in China (Hearing Eye, 2005); Hearing Eye has also published her pamphlets, Twelve Scenes of Malta and Friends in the Country, and a haiku collection, The Wisteria's Children (2009).

Sarah has a poems in The Other Side of Sleep and No Spider Harmed in the Making of this Book, and a short story in Departures

Sarah is one of six poets featured in Vindication.

Kate Foley is a widely published, prize-winning poet and former president of Suffolk Poetry Society. She has read in many UK and European locations. Her first collection, Soft Engineering was short listed for best first collection at Aldeburgh.

Her working life has ranged from delivering babies to conserving delicate archaeological material. She became Head of English Heritage's scientific and technical research laboratories. Although she has always written poetry it wasn't until she gave up the day job that she began to publish more widely.

She now lives with her wife, between Amsterdam and Suffolk, where she performs, writes, edits, leads workshops and whenever possible works with artists in other disciplines.



Beautifully lyrical and powerfully descriptive

endlessly inventive

No Spider Harmed, is a wonderfully diverse anthology, with many different styles coming together to create a tremendously entertaining read, and yes I'll admit, a new appreciation for our furry neighbours too.



A definite must for any spider-lovers but also a very rewarding read for fans of good writing.

...Moonlight is Web-Coloured by Emma Lee, a short piece but every word sings. I stopped and reread this one several times, so taken with the rhythm and melody.